Chapter 282: Dog Shit Elder, Heavenly Way's Little Bottom

Passive value: 182,020.

Xu Xiaoshou sighed.

It was a bit low. This was the total result of his efforts over the past ten-plus days since leaving Tianxuan Gate, but it still didn't compare to what he'd gained in just a few hours at Hei Luo Cliff. Along the way, he'd made a deliberate effort to actively seek it out; otherwise, the number would probably have been nearly half as much.

Over those ten days, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't just been waiting to head down the mountain. He'd made it a goal to stroll through the outer court at least three times a day, spending more than half an hour on each loop.

The first couple of days went smoothly. As soon as people spotted him—the legendary outer court figure, Xu the Great Demon King—they showed all sorts of admiration and respect.

By the end of one loop, he'd rack up at least seven or eight thousand passive values.

But then things took a sharp turn. The outer court might be big, but it wasn't endless. In just two or three days, Xu Xiaoshou had become familiar with everyone.

At first, people were still amazed:

"Wow, look, look, the outer court legend, Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Ahhh, my idol Xu Jiutou, ah, I'm dying!"

There were all sorts of nicknames, like "Xu Xiaodu" or "Xu Damui," popping up everywhere.

But soon, they stopped calling out at all. Everyone just acted like it was no big deal.

Xu Xiaoshou was frustrated! In just a few days, he'd only grinded out less than a few tens of thousands of passive values, and his deliberate efforts to gain them had actually made the efficiency drop.

But would Xu Xiaoshou give up that easily? Not a chance—his clever ideas kept coming!

Once he noticed the drop in efficiency, he used his status as the outer court's senior brother to request permission from the elders, then gathered a crowd and started charging—er, I mean, teaching classes!

After all, he was the outer court's senior brother! Even Ye Xiaotian had suggested bringing him into the inner court during their first meeting. If Sang Lao hadn't intercepted things midway, this guy's status would have skyrocketed even more.

A noble spirit refiner of such high standing actually coming to the outer court to teach a bunch of newbie rookies? The outer court exploded with excitement.

On the day of the class, it was packed to the brim. Chu Yun Tai was temporarily commandeered, turning into a bustling spectacle once again.

After a session of lively chatter, Xu Xiaoshou walked away thoroughly satisfied, having raked in nearly seventy thousand passive values. It was a massive windfall.

As for what he actually taught...

Well, what kind of cultivation content could a guy who relies on passive breathing provide?

But as someone who'd had nine years of compulsory education and was a model youth, even if he hadn't taught before, he'd certainly attended classes.

He delivered a huge dose of psychology, game theory, and philosophical worldviews to these eager young minds.

Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't mislead anyone, but he had plenty of experience on how to counter enemies, how to play weak when strong, and how to turn the tables with apparent weakness.

In the end, he topped it off with a bucket of philosophy, leading everyone in a discussion about the world and the self.

Even a few uneasy elders who were secretly listening in were shocked.

"This Xu Xiaoshou—his inner world is incredibly strong?"

"Indeed, you can't judge a book by its cover..."

After the class ended, the outer court disciples left buzzing with excitement, chattering among themselves.

"Too amazing! As expected of Xu the Great Demon King—his words almost made me have a breakthrough on the spot!"

"Yeah, yeah, I felt like I was just a hair's breadth from enlightenment, but alas, I'm not quite there yet."

"It's not just the final explanation of the heavenly dao—the combat techniques and psychological strategies he taught earlier are super practical too."

"Exactly! We really hit the jackpot this time. Free classes, no less. I thought Xu the Great Demon King was some real villain, but he's actually such a kind-hearted guy."

"Those who didn't come really missed out. From now on, Xu Xiaoshou is my greatest idol!"

Once the intense discussions cooled down a bit, someone finally pointed out the oddity.

"Hmm? Everyone's saying they almost had a breakthrough, but no one actually did?"

"Uh, now that you mention it, you're right. Normally, when the elders lecture, a few hundred people would have at least one or two breaking through on the spot. This time, with over a thousand..."

"Pfft, it must be because Senior Brother Xu's teachings are too profound, too hard to grasp!"

"Yeah, definitely!"

"But..."

Still, someone asked, "Why didn't Senior Brother Xu talk about cultivation methods? He's broken through so quickly himself."

That left everyone stumped, with no answer.

After a long silence, someone finally ventured carefully:

"Maybe Senior Brother Xu..."

"He's just a legendary genius! The kind of prodigy who can break through several realms at once just by comprehending the great dao!"

It was like a sudden awakening for the group, and they all nodded in realization.

"That's it for sure!"

"I heard Senior Brother Xu was only at the third realm when he emerged from seclusion, and he was weaker than me back then. How else could he have shot up to the innate realm in just a month through normal cultivation?"

"Hiss! Now that you say it, that makes sense. He really went from the third realm to the innate in a month?"

"Who knows? He might have hidden his cultivation, but his breakthroughs were lightning fast, that's for sure."

Everyone was astounded, reflecting once more on Xu Xiaoshou's extraordinary life.

Then, someone fully enlightened said, "In my view, the harder the great dao is to understand, the deeper and more useful it is."

"Senior Brother Xu taught over a thousand people, and after his explanation of the heavenly dao, not a single one broke through. What does that prove?"

"It proves that Senior Brother Xu's dao is the true heavenly dao!"

"A dao this hard to decipher is the real one that aligns with heaven and earth. If it were easy, wouldn't everyone be a Xu Xiaoshou or a hidden dragon?"

"Look at those elders and their stuff—a hundred people in, and several break through. What does that show?"

"It's crap!"

"The elders' dao is crap; Senior Brother Xu's dao is the heavenly dao!"

With these words of insight, everyone snapped to attention.

Of course—if someone could achieve what Xu Xiaoshou has, how could they end up as just an ordinary elder in Ling Palace when they get old?

The outer court's senior brother was destined to make a name beyond Tian Sang City, maybe even charge into Dongtian Wang City. He had to be more powerful than the elders.

It was as if an immortal had pointed the way, and the discussions heated up again.

The person who'd spoken those words was hailed as the first to truly inherit Xu Xiaoshou's essence, instantly becoming the top scholar among dozens in the outer court's main dormitory.

The night couldn't dampen their enthusiasm. Comments like "crap elders" and "heavenly dao Xu" kept floating out the windows.

Xu Xiaoshou's perception covered everything around him; he didn't even sleep, just floated in the void, yawning while collecting passive values.

He was about to wrap up and head back when the dorms finally fell silent.

In the dorms, the reason for the sudden quiet was that a sharp-eyed person had spotted dark figures outside the window.

Not just one, but several.

They were...

The elders!